


Making Do (With What You Got)

by comically_so (knobblyfruit), knobblyfruit



Category: Mystery Science Theater 3000
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-03-01
Updated: 2009-03-01
Packaged: 2017-10-18 01:40:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/183570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/knobblyfruit/pseuds/comically_so, https://archiveofourown.org/users/knobblyfruit/pseuds/knobblyfruit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mike just wants to get on Crow's good side. Takes place after "Mitchell" but before "The Brain That Wouldn't Die."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Making Do (With What You Got)

**Author's Note:**

> This is for the [](http://community.livejournal.com/picfor1000/profile)[**picfor1000**](http://community.livejournal.com/picfor1000/) challenge. My pic prompt is [here](http://www.flickr.com/photos/pprats/345724712/sizes/m/).

The Satellite of Love is a huge structure with rooms and halls stretching in every direction. So much so, that even Joel Robinson, with all the years he spent there, probably didn’t see all of it.

But Joel’s gone now, Mike Nelson thought. And now it’s my turn.

He’s walking down one of the many long hallways in the spaceship, hand stretched out to the wall, fingers lightly brushing the smooth metal. Cold metal.

Everything’s cold up here, now that he thinks about it. Well, except maybe the ‘bots. Not that he’s touched them, but he’s been near them, and they hum with warmth just like any other computer-based system.

Not that it’s easy for Mike to think of the ‘bots as “computer-based systems.” He’s only been up here for a couple of days, but if he zones out for a moment, Tom and Crow’s bickering sound just like him and his brother when they were kids. Then he blinks and everything falls back into focus. He pushes away the memories, not knowing if…no, *when* he’ll see his family again. (He’s already begged Gypsy to look for another box of hamdingers, despite her insistence that there aren’t any more.)

His walk finally brings him to the kitchen, and he has to fight with himself to not turn right back around. Crow T. Robot is sitting there at the table, clutching a deck of cards in his claw.

It’s not that he doesn’t like Crow. It’s just after Dr. Forrester sent him to take Joel’s place, Gypsy had to explain to Tom and Crow why Joel had to leave…and who was responsible. They haven’t spoken to her since. She told Mike they’d be okay. “They’ll come around. They always do.”

Since he felt partially responsible for their creator leaving, he figured he was better off figuring out a way to escape, instead of waiting for the inevitable confrontation with two little robots. Not that he had thought of anything. Yet.

So, he’d probably be stuck here for at least a little while. Might as well mingle with the locals. Besides, he was thirsty.

“Hey, Crow!” Mike says cheerfully, as he heads toward the refrigerator. Starting off on the right foot always helps.

“Oh, hi, Michelle,” Crow replies disinterestedly.

Mike pauses for a moment in reaching for a bottle of water. “Uh, it’s Michael. Er, Mike, actually.”

“Sure it is.” The robot continues to concentrate on his card game.

Mike twists open the bottle and takes a drink, eyes furrowed in confusion. Crow apparently had no intention of blaming him for anything now. He could walk right out of the room, scott free. Maybe put together a real escape plan.

On the other hand, if he doesn’t make an attempt at peace now, this might be a real long trip, whether temporary or not.

“So…whatchya playin’?” Mike asks, even though it’s pretty obvious. He stands next to the ‘bot, watching him take three more cards out of the deck.

Crow doesn’t seem to notice. “Solitaire.” He flips a card over. “Damn,” he mutters.

But Mike refuses to give up and move on. His mother would probably say something about him being “stubborn as a mule” right about now.

“Can I play?”

Crow finally stops, and turns to look up at Mike. “I think,” he says, slowly and carefully, as if he were speaking to a mentally-disabled child, “the point of Solitaire is that only one person can play.”

And, really, that should have been an obvious brush-off. But Mike chuckles, pretending to be oblivious. “No, I mean play a different card game. That two can play.”

Crow turns back to the cards in his hand, but doesn’t continue playing. Mike can tell he’s thinking about it.

“What game?” the robot finally asks.

“Oh, I dunno. You can pick.” Mike takes a seat in the chair across from Crow.

“Go Fish?” There was so much hope in his voice that Mike couldn’t have said no even if he wanted to.

“Sure.”

Mike watches as Crow picks up the cards on the table and shuffles them back into the deck. “Is that your favorite game or something? Go Fish?”

Crow pauses in his shuffling, hesitates to speak. “It’s Tuesday. Tuesday night is card game night. Servo picked War last time. Joel picked King’s Corner the time before that. Tonight was supposed to be my turn to pick.” Mike can hear a hint of sadness, and he instantly feels guilty.

Crow finishes shuffling, then starts passing the cards out. When he passes out the last card, Mike decides he can’t take it anymore.

“I’m sorry,” he blurts out.

The robot looks up at him as he spreads the remaining cards face down between them. “For what?”

Mike shrugs. “I kind of helped Joel escaped. He might still be here if I hadn’t told Gypsy about the escape pod.”

“Oh. That’s okay.” Crow picks up his hand of cards.

“You’re not mad?” Mike asks, puzzled. For some reason, this calm acceptance isn’t what he’d been expecting.

“I was, but I figure you’ve been punished enough already.”

Mike frowns. What does that mean? Gypsy had warned him about both Crow and Tom being pranksters. Would there be something extremely nasty waiting for him in his bed tonight? “How so?”

“You got sent up to take his place, didn’t you?”

Mike stares at him for a moment. “That’s…an excellent point.”

“Yeah. You know, Mitch, you’re not such a bad guy.”

“It’s Mike. And, uh, thanks?”

“Those movies are probably gonna be pretty rough for a newbie.”

“They’re that bad, huh? Got any tips for survival?”

Crow thinks for a moment. “Servo and I could probably dig out some old experiments. Run you through a training course.”

Mike raises an eyebrow, positive the movies couldn’t possibly be *that* bad. But he’s certainly not going to turn down Crow’s act of goodwill. “Sounds great, thanks.”

“Sure.” The ‘bot glances down at his cards. “Got any kings?”

Mike smiles. “Go fish.”

END.


End file.
